Food First

If there is a Goliath in front of you, that means there is a David inside of you. Join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, president and CEO of @Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Juan Escareño, director of government relations & community outreach at Midwest Independent Retailers Association on @Food First Michigan, Sunday at 9:00 PM on @WJR Radio. Juan understands the connection between food, busines...

Clip from Phil on Guy Gordon’s show

“The food insecure cannot wait. Talk is fine. Discussion is fine. But we MUST respond.” - Representative John Lewis Governor Gretchen Whitmer is choosing to respond with action. In August, Governor Whitmer issued Executive Order 167, creating the Food Security Council (FSC). She was concerned for those struggling with food insecurity inside and outside of the COVID-19 pandemic. The council was for...

When a breach occurs and a gap is created. More often than not, it is filled with brave men and women who CHOOSE to stand in that gap. We need people to come alongside of us and the people we serve to stand in the gap for families experiencing food insecurity. Representative Angela Witwer does just that. Representative Witwer ran for public office to serve Michigan’s 71st District to stand in the...

Not all heroes wear capes; some wear scrubs or drive forklifts. This week’s show lifts up our heroes; the men and women of America’s food banks. Michigan’s seven Feeding America food banks serve all 83 counties. They show up to make sure senior citizens, children, and families who need food, get some. They rise each day with the mindset of helping their fellow Michiganders in need, often putting t...

The wait and the hope. People wait in food distribution lines for HOURS with the hope that there is enough to go around. The trailers hold approximately 44,000 pounds of food and sometimes that just isn’t enough for the number of people in need. In order to understand people’s truths, we have to know their stories. People often think that those who need our help do not try, but in reality, those w...

“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.” - Plato Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the largest public health crisis of the CENTURY, our seven Feeding America food banks are getting #MoreFoodMoreOften2MorePeople than ever before in all of Michigan’s 83 counties. We have more food than ever to distribute, a tremendous amount of which comes from the United States Department...

The level of childhood food insecurity was unacceptable prior to the pandemic, and is absolutely disturbing now. The number of food insecure children in Michiganhas almost doubled since March. In early March, there were approximately 300,000 food insecure children living in our state, now there are more than 600,000. How do we know this? We know this because of the life work of our guest, Dr. Crai...

Who wins when we win? Families, education, businesses, and healthcare. Who loses when we lose? All of the same people, groups, and communities. Hunger is expensive and is estimated to cost the economy BILLIONS in tax revenue and BILLIONS more in programming. The biggest toll is lost potential - including each child who never develops mentally, physically, and emotionally due to the lack of access...

People are an organization’s greatest and most appreciable asset. Tune in this evening with Dr. Phil, Gerry Brisson, President and CEO of @gleaners community food bank and Dr. Dawn Opel, Director of Research and Strategic Initiatives for the @food bank council of Michigan. Dawn is one of FBCM’s most appreciated and appreciable assets. She wears many hats, most recently, she became licensed to prac...

At the Food Bank Council of Michigan, we know that elections MATTER! According to recent data, food insecurity rates have gotten far worse these past few months due to the pandemic. The need is great. Winter is coming and the food supply is lessening from the USDA. If Congress and our legislature do not co-create an emergency declaration of additional support for emergency food, increase in SNAP a...

“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” - St. Francis We need YOUR help to do the impossible. During COVID-19, the Michigan food bank network has been distributing an average of 4.5 million pounds of food per week. We are projecting the need to increase by 15% this winter, equating to 667,000 MORE pounds of food per week. The harsher we...

Vision is the idea of a better tomorrow. During COVID-19, we have learned a lot about ourselves, our work and our impact. We have had abundant resources flow to our state in the form of food assistance with SNAP, Pandemic-EBT, unemployment benefits, school meals changing their models to grab-and-go, and our network distributing almost 5 million pounds of food each week. We have adapted and will co...

Phil, Gerry, President and CEO of @gleaners community food bank, and the rest of the Michigan food bank network, have been changing the conversation and building a movement about food security for three years now. Tune in this evening on @wjr radio or News Talk 760 AM at 9 p.m. to hear what it will take for Michigan to go to the next level of effectiveness to create a food secure state; there are...

Amid the pandemic, we have all been more cognizant about where our food comes from and if there will be enough. The food insecure struggle with these thoughts all the time. As we often say, when you’re hungry, you only have ONE problem. This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Carl Bednarski, President of Michigan Farm Bureau for the 3r...

"Health CANNOT be a question of income; it is a fundamental human right." Nelson Mandela No parent should have to choose between paying rent or putting food on the table for their children. But, sadly they do. No one should be go hungry in the most 2nd agriculturally diverse state. But, sadly they do. Racial and health disparities are tightly interwoven with the lack of access to high quality heal...

Hippocrates said it best, ”Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank and Laurie Solotorow, Director of Nutrition and Healthy Lifestyles of Michigan Health Endowment Fund! This is Part I of a 3 part series about the intersection of health disparities and food security. Tune in at 9:00 PM on W...

'Anything is possible when you have the right people there to support you.' Misty Copeland This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank and Carolyn Bloodworth, Executive Director of Corporate Giving of Consumers Energy on Food First Michigan! Carolyn is bringing HOPE to the conversation and is of great influence and an even greater heart. 'A tru...

The 'perfect storm' is brewing and the 4th wave of the pandemic is coming. The wave of the indefinite - interwoven components of food insecurity that are threatening us like attributes of a catastrophic storm. This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight and Gerry Brisson the President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank on Food First Michigan as they discuss the heavy weight of the 4th wave of the pandemi...

'It's kind of fun to do the impossible.' Walt Disney This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson the President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Sherri Welch, Senior Reporter for Crain's Detroit Business on Food First Michigan! Sherri grew up as a Detroiter and is doing her part in telling the story of Detroit's comeback. She has written from many different non-profit's perspectives...

“Never underestimate the power of a small group of people to change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Lewis Roubal, Chief Deputy Director for Opportunity at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for Food First Michigan! In this episode of Food F...

COVID-19 has consumed our minds and hearts the last 4.5 months. So many people have faced hardships because of the pandemic - we've pushed our bodies to DO more, so we can SERVE more! Pre-COVID 1.4 million Michiganders were food insecure with roughly 300,000 - 400,000 of those being children. Food insecurity is brutal and has 'no face'. It could be your neighbor, your coworker, your grandma - it d...

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them,” – Albert Einstein. This Sunday, join Dr. Phil Knight, Gerry Brisson, President & CEO of Gleaners Community Food Bank, and Amanda Sweetman, Regional Director of Farming and Healthy Lifestyles at Trinity Michigan for Food First Michigan! Amanda has worked as a scientist, farmer, educator, chef, and community builder....

"I believe that you see something that you want to get done, you cannot give up, and you cannot give in." -Representative John Lewis Hear why Joe Tate State Representative of House District 2 vividly reminds us of the late Representative John Lewis by exuding leadership and kindness. He comes from a family of service and is standing proudly in the gap for those who cannot in his district. Joe trul...

Trust has built our foodbank network into one of the most trusted partners in America, and here at home in Michigan. While the Food Bank Council of Michigan is very young, we were born out of need - and, that need was to be sure that the food being distributed to the community was safe. With the Michigan food banks, the public trust is so high that Governor Gretchen Whitmer and her team, as well a...